There are plenty of SUVs available on the market and one of these is Volkswagen Tiguan. The Tiguan model has been able to remain ahead of the curve. However, car owners have also had to deal with issues such as the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan problems.
Car buyers love the Tiguan as it is a brand that stays true to German engineering and styling. That said, Volkswagen has not had the best models in recent times. It seems like every year, Volkswagen is releasing a Tiguan that is worse than the previous year.
The 2018 model though came with a revised design from previous model years. That however doesn’t make it any better than previous model years.
As per the NHTSA or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration claims, the three major 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan problems have to do with the engine, the seatbelts, and the structure.
We will take a look at each of these later as well as some other common problems that you can expect with the Volkswagen Tiguan.
- 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
- Tiguan Problems
- 2018 Tiguan Reliability
- VW Tiguan Oil Reset
- Frequently Asked Questions
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan
Americans are known for loving big stuff and this is certainly the case with cars. Luckily Volkswagen got it right with the Volkswagen Tiguan.
With the second generation of the VW Tiguan, the car has grown by over a foot long from the previous generation. This means even more cargo space whenever you want to go camping or on that off-road trip.
Another change with the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan is the redesign that features a more squared body similar to that which you find on the Volkswagen Atlas and other American SUVs. Whether or not Volkswagen designed the Tiguan with the American market in mind is a story for another day.
Less Power
On the downside, however, the Volkswagen Tiguan is a bit lacking when it comes to its powertrain. Granted the body is much bigger than the previous model but the engine is even less powerful than what came with the previous model years.
If you are searching for German performance, you are not going to find it in the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan.
At least the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan came with an all-new design and a larger body.
The interior is well thought out and quite comfortable and the ride is also very decent. Not exactly like what you’d find in a Buick though. The only downside that many Volkswagen drivers seem to complain about with the release of the 2018 model is that the engine lacks enough power.
That said, there are also designs from the previous generation Volkswagen Tiguan that you can clearly see in the 2018 Model Tiguan Limited. However, we will focus our review on the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan even though drivers who prefer the older generation Tiguan can still get it in the Limited Trim.
As far as prices are concerned, the Volkswagen Tiguan came with an MSRP of $23,150 for the base model. The S, the SE, and the SEL would cost $25,590, $27,745, and $32,085 respectively. The SEL Premium had an MRSP of $37245.
Engine And Transmission
As we noted, the 2018 Tiguan came with a brand-new engine. That said it wasn’t all that powerful. There were some drivers and experts who described the engine as sounding grainy and coarse.
The previous model year Volkswagen Tiguan featured a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. The new 2.0-liter engine unfortunately doesn’t match up to the power of the previous engine. In fact, it is hard to pinpoint one area where the 2018 Tiguan engine outperformed the previous engine.
But at least there is the fact that the 2018 engine came with an extra 14 pound-feet of torque. That said, the engine lost 16 horsepower. Even with more torque, and the engine connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission, the Volkswagen Tiguan still failed to reach the speed and the acceleration of the previous model year.
Drivers also noted a turbo lag which caused the acceleration to be less than ideal from a standstill. Even while driving around the city, the Tiguan felt a bit slow.
The results of the engine replacement were as anyone could have guessed – disappointing. Even with the new engine at the time, the car failed to keep up with the competition.
That said, drivers noted how commutable it felt to ride on the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan but at the expense of precision during brisk driving. For instance, if you drive a 2-wheel drive you could still notice bumps in the road.
However, the four-wheel drive 2018 Tiguan could handle the bumps better.
Interior Styling
The interior of the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan resonates with everything you would expect in a Volkswagen. What we mean here is that the Tiguan 2018 model came with a simple interior that was highly foundational but wasn’t particularly very stylish.
However, if you want more legroom, you would have been better off choosing an alternative SUV. However, you could also order the 2018 Tiguan with an extra third row of seats. The seating is cloth and the car also features power-adjustable front seats.
If you went higher on the trim levels, you get power adjustability, a panoramic sunroof, and leather seats. Still, the interior of the Tiguan feels unremarkable and less stylish. That said, the highest trim, the SEL premium features heated driver’s seats and a heated steering wheel.
By pressing repeatedly the dual control button you could warm up the seat and the steering wheel to room temperature. However, you cannot cool down the seats or steering wheel. There are many drivers who said they could have preferred regular seat buttons.
It doesn’t matter the type of 2018 Tiguan that you drive, you will still be able to get sufficient storage space. That said, if you want more space, you would need to fold down the rear seats as the 12 cubic feet may not be sufficient in some instances.
That said, there are buyers who don’t mind sacrificing cargo space for the seven-seat configuration. This is especially when you become aware that with the third-row seats folded the Tiguan could match up to its competition as far as space goes.
Infotainment And Connectivity
When it comes to the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan infotainment system, it looks stylish and upgraded. However, when it comes to functionality, it is quite slow. Kind of like in the 2013 Ford Taurus.
The previous model came with an infotainment system that eaters a leg screen that is surrounded by buttons.
With the 2018 model however the buttons were taken out and now it’s only a large screen with integrated touch buttons.
This infotainment system also features Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, as well as Mirrorlink for those who don’t use Apple or Android.
On the flip side, the Volkswagen Tiguan 2018 Model lacks a Wi-Fi hotspot or mobile data.
2018 Tiguan Problems
If there is one thing that Volkswagen is good at and has built a reputation around, it’s building top-quality compact SUVs. It has managed to do this since 2007 ever and more and more car buyers were attracted to Volkswagen.
However, when it comes to the Tiguan model, the build quality deteriorated over the ears. Volkswagen became aware that it was losing the favor of car buyers and decided to build a new Tiguan from the ground up and in came the 2018 model.
However, it came with the downside of having many driver complaints. And the strange thing is that such issues would easily show up within a short while of driving the car.
As per the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the issues with the 2018 model ranged from serious engine problems to issues with the safety belt as well as structural 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan problems.
Here we will look in close detail at the main issues of the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan as well as the other issues that you can expect. Understanding the issues with the 2018 Tiguan will help you to better take care of your vehicle whenever these issues occur.
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems #1 – Structural Problems
Whenever you buy a brand-new car, the last thing you want to hear it clatter. However, this was the case with the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. Drivers often complained online that they were hearing a rattling sound that came from the B-pillar of the SUV. This is the structure that is just behind the driver and holds the safety belt.
Drivers would also complain about regular and sometimes constant rattling that came from the window pillars, as well as the doors which are loud, and drivers, could notice it regardless of the driving speed and the rod surfeited. Whenever drivers switched to uneven terrain the rattling and clatter became worse.
Even the SEL premium came with this issue. With better styling and expecting a better quality ride, the last thing that drivers were expecting was a rattling noise. But these were issues that were easily noticeable.
Often times owners of the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan would have to incase their radio volume to be able to mask the rattling sound coming from the B-pillar. Needless to say, it negatively affected the ride quality and comfort.
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems #2 – The Engine
Just as you wouldn’t expect to hear rattling sounds with a new model, you also don’t want to notice any hesitation as this can be quite scary when in the middle of the highway.
The Volkswagen Tiguan has been known over the years to stutter when driving and this has continued when in the 2018 Tiguan Model.
Many car drivers of the models claim that they experience dangerously low acceleration.
Some drivers report the hesitation problem when driving under low temperatures. Changing modes from normal mode to sport mode or even manual shifting doesn’t seem to solve the problem.
Other drivers have complained that the Tiguan 2018 model has an issue with acceleration from a dead stop. There is also a noticeable issue with lag whenever one tried to accelerate or during shifting. Some drivers also reported the engines misfiring when they reached 3000 miles.
This can result in a potentially dangerous situation whenever the driver tries to merge into the highway or when turning into traffic.
There were also many other engine issues that the Tiguan was known to have. For instance, there could be problems with the intake manifold or there could be damage to the water pump when the car reached 20,000 miles.
Other 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan problems that have been reported include leaking of the main seals as well as high gas consumption. There have also been complaints about a lack of power, especially with the 2018 model.
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems #3 – The Seatbelts
Granted when it comes to the vehicle’s seat belts, there are many serious issues when talking about the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan. This has to do with the B pillar noises that we talked about earlier. This is not a surprise considering the safety belt retractor is attached to the B-pillar.
Many drivers would complain about a rattling noise that came forth safety belt retractor. This was likely due to the vibrations from the B pillar. Volkswagen enthusiast drivers would also complain about the continued deteriorating quality of the model.
Although, there were other issues besides. The first Volkswagen Tiguan rolled out of production lines in 2009 and the models that followed have had their fair share of issues.
While the individual 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan problems and how often they occur will come down to the model year, the more modern Volkswagen Tiguans will generally feature fewer issues.
Some of the other common issues however that you can expect in a 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan other than the three main problems that we’ve mentioned above include.
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems #4 – The Transmission
There are some car owners who reportedly experienced a hard shift with the transmission. This could occur either up or down. This is an issue that often came about after driving consistently for half an hour.
We also noted that the 2018 model would sometimes hesitate during acceleration. Furthermore, this would also be followed by some clunking noises. The noises would worsen the higher up in speed that one went.
Sometimes the engine would downright stall which would create a potentially harmful situation. Other than that, there were times when owners would report grinding noises that came from the transmission area. It is never a good sign whenever there are noises that come from the transmission.
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems #5 – Braking Issues
There have been multiple reports on issues with the braking system from the Volkswagen Tiguan.
Often there was a delayed engagement of the brakes whenever the driver stepped on the pedal. Sometimes the brakes would fail to deploy.
Whichever the situation, brakes that didn’t function as expected significantly heightened the risk of collisions and accidents. This was especially so if driving the Tiguan at higher speeds.
In some models especially those that had automatic braking there were several ways that the brakes could malfunction. First off they could consistently fail without any warning. Other times the brakes fail to function.
A damaged braking sensor was often the culprit behind this problem. It would send faulty inflation on the brakes which in turn would cause them to malfunction.
There could also be issues with the antilock brake systems well as the stability control. There are car owners who noticed that when issues occurred with these two systems, they would also quickly be followed by damage with other electronic systems.
This would often render the vehicle unusable.
2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems #6 – Electrical Systems
Among the many electrical systems that you can find in the Tiguan is lane assist. This works by reading the road markings and helping to keep the vehicle in the right lane.
That said, the lane assist feature could also register wrong information causing it to turn the car in the wrong direction. There were many car owners of the Tiguan who reported this issue. Others would get a lane assistant unavailable message.
But this is by far not the only electric system in the Tiguan that could malfunction. There is also adaptive cruise control. This one would also malfunction when the driver least expected it and could create a potentially hazardous situation.
Then there is the front collision avoidance system which had a tendency of malfunctioning and send the wrong signal. This was even while maintaining a responsible distance from the driver ahead. In case another driver was close behind, it could end up causing a collision.
Moreover, there have been drivers who have reported the car’s electrical system switching on even while the car is switched off and the keys are not in the ignition. This drains power from the battery resulting in little power for turning on the car the next time you want to drive somewhere.
Granted the earlier Volkswagen Tiguan models came with much simpler electronic systems but this doesn’t mean that they didn’t have their own share of issues. For instance, some early Tiguan models had problems with the ignition which would damage prematurely.
If this occurred, even on the highway it could cause the engine to stall and would result in the driver finding themselves in an accident.
2018 Tiguan Reliability
J.D Power gave the 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan a reliability rating of 3.5 out of 5. The 2018 Tiguan has good utility and gets good crash test scores.
The predicted reliability is above average and the costs of repair are relatively low. As long as performance is not a priority to you, then the 2018 Tiguan can prove a reliable choice. Still, it is not going to last as long as some car models.
There are several pros to the 2018 Tiguan. These include
- Great cargo room
- Second-row seats that are spacious
- A predicted reliability rating that is above average
- Good crash test score
- Low costs of ownership
That said the 2018 model comes with a few weaknesses
- Poor fuel economy
- Small redraw seats and space
- Not the best handling
- Poor engine power
2018 VW Tiguan Oil Reset
Many people who drive the 2018 VW Tiguan often wonder how to do an oil reset. There are several ways that you can do this. Let’s start off with the analog cluster.
The Analog Cluster
- Start by turning off the ignition key.
- Under the instrument cluster, you will find a button. Press and hold down the 0.0 button
- As you press down on the 0.0 button, turn on the car’s ignition.
- You should get a prompt tag that says “Reset oil change service.”
- If you choose to skip this step it will offer another prompt that says “Reset Inspection Interval”.
- Now press down again on the 0.0 button to reset the oil.
The Digital Cockpit
- Another way that you can do an oil reset is via a digital cockpit. This step will only take on about 3 minutes.
- Begin by starting the vehicle. You can do this by pressing on the accelerator and then turning on the ignition.
- You will need to access the driving submenu. After you have tuned on the analog cluster, use the buttons on the steering wheel and navigate with the left or right direction button until you reach the driving data.
- Thirdly you will need to choose a range. Press on the arrow down or they are up keys until you hit the range. Next press OK.
- Press down on the OK button for around 5 seconds.
- Next release the OK button which will provide you with the service menu.
- Press on the “Reset Oil Change” service or even the “Reset Inspection”. After accessing any of these, press the OK button and you are done.
FAQs On 2018 Volkswagen Tiguan Problems
Are Volkswagens Reliable
According to the consumer Reports ratings of 2021, Volkswagens score good marks on reliability. They get a good reliability score which was quite high compared to many other cars in the market.
Is Volkswagen A Good Car
Volkswagen, just like other German cars is known for longevity. For drivers who are looking for a reliable German model that is comfortable to drive and affordable, Volkswagens are usually a good choice.
Do Volkswagens Hold Their Value
One of the features that Volkswagen is known for is holding to its value over the years. They are given an above-average rating for value retention after three years. This is also part of the reason why Volkswagens remain in demand.
